U.S. Weighing Mission To Help Shi'ite Turkomans In Iraq

The United States is reportedly considering a possible humanitarian relief operation for Shi’ite Turkomans in northern Iraq who have been under siege for weeks by Islamic State (IS) militants.

U.S. officials said on August 27 the administration is focused on the town of Amirli, located near Kurdish territory, where an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people are estimated to have no access to food or water.

If it went forward, the relief mission would be the second recent U.S. military humanitarian intervention in Iraq.

American cargo aircraft dropped tons of food and water to thousands of members of the Yazidi sect in northern Iraq earlier this month, while U.S. air strikes targeted nearby IS positions.

Also on August 27, reports said Iraqi security forces and Shi’ite militia massed around Amerli to break the siege of the town.